http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/news/top50/y2008/

 

Just read the top 50 prospect list from MILB.COM and it was interesting to see that 5 of the 50 top prospects were from Venezuela - Franklin Morales, Carlos Gonzalez, Carlos Carrasco, Elvis Andrus and Alcides Escobar. Two of them are SS's.

 

Anyway, it made me wonder about Ozzie Guillen. Wasn't he supposed to be somewhat influential in his native country and weren't the Sox supposed to benefit from his connections there and overall from having a Spanish speaking manager.

 

Why is it that the Sox have NO good prospects from Venezuela in their organization ? And, how much have they benefited from Ozzie's heritage and connections? Just curious and trying to make an analysis. I expected there might be more of an impact for the Sox from Latin(Venezuelan) players with Ozzie.

well, my interpretation would be that ozzie doesn't make the draft picks. Kenny Williams does. Sure, Ozzie probably has some say, but Kenny Williams' drafting mantra has been "draft pitching all the time". Makes decent sense, young pitching is the strongest MLB currency, but that would explain why we don't have any of those Venezuelan SS prospects.

 

Additionally, I wouldn't think Ozzie would have THAT much pull with prospects since they wouldn't be playing with him for a few years. He probably has more pull when it comes to free agency and overall managerial acumen.

well, my interpretation would be that ozzie doesn't make the draft picks. Kenny Williams does. Sure, Ozzie probably has some say, but Kenny Williams' drafting mantra has been "draft pitching all the time". Makes decent sense, young pitching is the strongest MLB currency, but that would explain why we don't have any of those Venezuelan SS prospects.

 

Additionally, I wouldn't think Ozzie would have THAT much pull with prospects since they wouldn't be playing with him for a few years. He probably has more pull when it comes to free agency and overall managerial acumen.

 

Latin players aren't drafted.

oh yeah...good call. wow, that was quite the brain fart. scratch my previous post

The Sox have never had a solid presence in Latin America...at least for 35 years.

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/news/top50/y2008/

 

Just read the top 50 prospect list from MILB.COM and it was interesting to see that 5 of the 50 top prospects were from Venezuela - Franklin Morales, Carlos Gonzalez, Carlos Carrasco, Elvis Andrus and Alcides Escobar. Two of them are SS's.

 

Anyway, it made me wonder about Ozzie Guillen. Wasn't he supposed to be somewhat influential in his native country and weren't the Sox supposed to benefit from his connections there and overall from having a Spanish speaking manager.

 

Why is it that the Sox have NO good prospects from Venezuela in their organization ? And, how much have they benefited from Ozzie's heritage and connections? Just curious and trying to make an analysis. I expected there might be more of an impact for the Sox from Latin(Venezuelan) players with Ozzie.

I see you've made the leap from 'the Sox don't have one of the 5 best Venezuelan prospects according to the book of MILB.com', which is true, to "the Sox have NO good prospects from Venezuela", which may or may not be. Perhaps someone who knows where the Sox' prospects are from can answer that. Do we truly have none?

I see you've made the leap from 'the Sox don't have one of the 5 best Venezuelan prospects according to the book of MILB.com', which is true, to "the Sox have NO good prospects from Venezuela", which may or may not be. Perhaps someone who knows where the Sox' prospects are from can answer that. Do we truly have none?

 

I don't know, but this off season we've signed a few from the Dominican Republic. The DR breeds great ballplayers.

I don't know, but this off season we've signed a few from the Dominican Republic. The DR breeds great ballplayers.

 

So says Jimmy the Greek.

So says Jimmy the Greek.

 

Ah hell. Poor choice of words.

Ah hell. Poor choice of words.

 

No worries. I am just teasing. I understood what you meant.

No worries. I am just teasing. I understood what you meant.

 

I knew you were teasing, but still it was a poor choice.

I don't give much credence to the idea that Ozzie Guillen has any pull with Latin players period. Not after we lost out on Vizquel and others he was supposed to be such good friends with anyway.

I don't know, but this off season we've signed a few from the Dominican Republic. The DR breeds great ballplayers.

The way to get ourselves on lists like this one, where in a few years we have a few of these top latin american prospects, is to do exactly that. Yes, it's a crapshoot, yes, we'll spend some money on people who fail, but if we sign 3 a year, and maybe 1/3 gets to AAA as a high prospect...then suddenly, after 4-5 years of this, we have a highly ranked guy coming up through our system ready for KW to swap for someone important every year.

The way to get ourselves on lists like this one, where in a few years we have a few of these top latin american prospects, is to do exactly that. Yes, it's a crapshoot, yes, we'll spend some money on people who fail, but if we sign 3 a year, and maybe 1/3 gets to AAA as a high prospect...then suddenly, after 4-5 years of this, we have a highly ranked guy coming up through our system ready for KW to swap for someone important every year.

 

Anyone have an idea the financial investment it takes to consistently sign and develop players from the D.R.? What about Venezuela? Is there a difference in cost or is it roughly the same? I know there are schools set up by the teams and I am wondering how much more viable it is for the Sox to establish a steady network versus any other team out there.

Anyone have an idea the financial investment it takes to consistently sign and develop players from the D.R.? What about Venezuela? Is there a difference in cost or is it roughly the same? I know there are schools set up by the teams and I am wondering how much more viable it is for the Sox to establish a steady network versus any other team out there.

The top guys currently are commanding what, $1-$2 million to sign, while lower-tier guys who are still talented are in the $100k level. The kid we signed earlier this year we spent what, $250k on him, as a 16 year old.

The top guys currently are commanding what, $1-$2 million to sign, while lower-tier guys who are still talented are in the $100k level. The kid we signed earlier this year we spent what, $250k on him, as a 16 year old.

 

Balta...I thought the Sox signed a couple of pretty young DR's...one of them in the neighborhood of $500-600K? Is that right?

Balta...I thought the Sox signed a couple of pretty young DR's...one of them in the neighborhood of $500-600K? Is that right?

After checking, yes you're right, 3 SS, 1 of them for about 600k, the other 2 cost unknown.

The top guys currently are commanding what, $1-$2 million to sign, while lower-tier guys who are still talented are in the $100k level. The kid we signed earlier this year we spent what, $250k on him, as a 16 year old.

 

 

wow thats crazy, I have family in Latin America(Argentina,Mexico) and Ive asked them if they have seen any baseball scouts or anything and its always a no but still its very mind boggling a 16 year old could make 250 large. I just turned 20 and i'm jealous LOL